We'll Make it Through
by Skadiyoko
Summary: No matter what, Lovino would always put his brothers before himself.


Selamat Siang!

Which is Indonesian for "good afternoon"! 'Cause they can't have a simple "Hi" in their language. Haha.

This is a oneshot for Silan Haye, who wanted some Italy brothers~! So here we are!

Seborgia- Sergio

Wy- Hannah

Menikmati!

(God I hope these are right and I'm not somehow cussing out somebody's family. Lol.)

.:.:.:.:.:.:.

It's not easy. His name is Lovino Vargas, 19 years old and working three jobs. Feliciano and Sergio, his two younger brothers, lived with him. More than two years ago they were forced to move to the United States to live with their grandfather after a tragic accident took their parents from them. Feliciano was there when it happened, and did not escape unscathed. It could have been prevented. All of this. A careless driver was not paying attention and ran a red light, T-boning the driver's side and killing their father instantly. Their mother, who was not wearing her seat belt, smashed her head so hard against the window that it left a crack; she didn't even make it to the hospital. In the back seat was his brother, dressed in his football uniform and previously excited to get home and start helping their mother make dinner. Feliciano was alive, but while at the hospital they discovered that his arm was broken and he had a serious case of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Social Services called their grandfather, Arsenius Vargas, while Feliciano was in the hospital and helped them pack. They would be leaving to an entirely new continent in only a week. None of the boys knew Arsenius very well, only sending and receiving cards or short letters on special occasions. America turned their lives upside down, but not in a good way. Arsenius made enough money to keep himself happy, and no more. He did not realize that three extra persons, none of which were out of school, would cost much more. Even when he did realize this, he did not chance much.

They lived in a two bedroom apartment that their grandfather refused to move out of. Two beds occupied the space. One was Arsenius' king, and the other was a queen he had received from a friend. Lovino slept on the couch, which was too small for him when they first arrived, and now seemed incapable of holding his body for long. More than once he was woken by Sergio, laying on the floor in a jumble of sheets and awkward limbs. More than once he had told his brother that no, he was not going to switch sleeping arrangements with him, so shut the fuck up and wake Feli while I make breakfast.

Meals more or less consisted of either leftovers, cheap take out, or canned goods. Since all of the boys were used to their mother's home cooked meals, or eating out in restaurants where not every surface was coated in grease, it was extremely hard to stomach such food. They had all become a kind of gourmet, and because of Feliciano's TBI it was especially difficult for him. Lovino and Sergio would often have to force feed their brother for months, suffering through temper tantrums at almost every mealtime. After a few months he was well enough to think straight and swallow the food himself, even if he did make a face at every bite.

If Arsenius had noticed any of this, and Lovino is positive that he had, he never said or did anything about it. The boys were miserable, and their grandfather barely remembered to give them their basic necessities. It's not that he was a bad man, but he was very selfish and unused to living with others. Lovino thought that mindset would change after two years, but he supposes that the old man is just too stubborn. He simply kept buying his expensive wine, leaving four out of seven nights a week, and either not coming home until morning, or bringing a woman half his age into the apartment past midnight.

Once he knew nothing was going to change, Lovino decided to get a job. Filling out applications was terrible, and he cursed himself for not paying attention in his English classes back in Italy. He never imagined himself to ever leave his beautiful country, so he thought those classes were useless. How wrong he was, he thought after flipping through the English to Italian dictionary to figure out what "felony" meant. None of his applications were accepted due to either his age, or because he had filled it out wrong. It hurt his pride.

That's when he met Antonio, a senior at his high school. He was a junior, Feliciano was a freshman, and Sergio was in the seventh grade at an entirely different school. The boy said he had moved to America from Spain when he was just a baby. It was comforting to the Italian to be close to another European, even though the only accent he could hear was how Antonio sometimes rolled his Rs. They became fast friends, and Lovino was glad he didn't scare the other off with his awful attitude and harsh words.

Soon the Spaniard learnt of Lovino's quest for a job. He never told Antonio why he needed it so badly, but was granted an interview at a traditional Spanish restaurant anyway. It was small and owned by his new friend's parents, but the food was the best he'd had since leaving Italy. It was almost enough to make him cry when he was hired to work there part time, and he even had Sunday off. Lovino became a waiter, making most of his money off of tips, but there was a surprising amount of people that came to eat at the minuscule eatery every day.

A new tradition was formed then. Every Saturday he would treat Feliciano and Sergio to lunch at the restaurant. After the third time Feliciano tried ordering pasta, only to be told that the dish wasn't served there, Lovino taught Mr. and Mrs. Carriedo how to make it. It was so good, they had it added to the menu. Of course it was good, it was his mother's recipe. When Sergio tasted the new addition the following week, he stood to embrace his eldest brother with teary green eyes. Not sensing the serious atmosphere, Feliciano joined and exclaimed how he loved group hugs, and how he loved his brothers. Lovino almost broke down from that.

With his new income, the Italian was able to buy better things for his siblings. Once in a while he could get them new clothes, and other times he got them cheap electronics. Instead of using the microwave every day, Lovino bought food that could actually be cooked. Added to school, work was tiring, and he usually came home late at night only to be greeted with unfinished homework. Most nights he was lucky to get five hours of sleep, but if his brothers were happier, it was worth it.

One day he was called to the school's counselor's office. Heracles Karpusi, a kind, calm man, greeted him. He asked if Feliciano wore glasses or contacts, and Lovino said no. He's never had to. Mr. Karpusi looked thoughtful. Apparently Feliciano had been squinting a lot and had trouble reading. The boy felt his stomach sink when he was told his brother would have to see an optometrist.

Asking Arsenius for help was out of the question, so he saved his money until he had enough to pay for the appointment. Sergio wanted to come as well, and all three brothers piled into the back of Antonio's car since there was a blonde girl in the passenger's seat. She introduced herself as Bella, Antonio's cousin, and Sergio immediately started to flirt with her. Some of the tension in the air seemed to break at that, and soon the small space was filled with the sounds of teenagers simply being teenagers. That was the happiest Lovino had been in a long time, but the weight of Feliciano's hand in his was the rock that kept him anchored to reality.

After hours of watching his little brother go through test after test (he couldn't stop himself from making fun of how he looked with the giant lens machine in front of his face, or how he looked with his pupils dilated), the doctor figured out the specific kind of prescription Feliciano needed. After the interesting adventure consisting of five teenagers picking out one pair of frames, the optometrist ordered the glasses. They would be over $200. Depending on how good Lovino's tips were, it would be at least another two weeks before he could pick them up.

After that, life began to become livable again. One year had passed since they arrived in America, and Lovino was now in his last year of school. He was not the best student, but his grades never usually fell below a C. With a lot of help and tutoring, Feliciano was able to pass as well. Other than his sight and attention span, his TBI was more or less gone. There was also a strange "ve" sound that reared it's head frequently, but it didn't hinder his conversational skills, so Lovino decided to let it go.

Sergio was the one who was steadily grating on his nerves. Every day he babbled on incessantly about this cute seventh grader named Hannah. About how she had the prettiest brown eyes, and shiniest brunette hair, and these eyebrows that both cracked him up and attracted him to her at the same time. He went on to tell him about what a great artist she was, and how they would spend lunch drawing together. Lovino would then kick him in the shin and tell him to shut up or he'd be eating Marmite for dinner.

It was an underhanded tactic, but it worked.

He knew his youngest sibling did not mean any harm and only wanted to share his life and interests with Lovino like any brother would, but it always hurt when Hannah came up. When Sergio got that soft, yet excited gleam in his eyes, his chest ached. It reminded him of how the supposed best years of his life had been spent either unappreciated, or growing up too fast. Crushes and dating were luxuries he didn't have time for. Lovino didn't have the energy or time to maintain a social life. Antonio and Bella, who he barely sees since the Spaniard graduated and Bella goes to a different school, were the closest things he had to friends. Even Feliciano had become close to someone. A German boy named Ludwig who swears he and Feli were just friends, but his blush told Lovino otherwise.

Either way, he does not like that guy, but he makes his brother happy. He tries to keep his insults to five per day. It usually doesn't happen, but he tries. There's also a quiet Asian kid that Feliciano made friends with, and whenever Lovino sees the trio together his heads hurts from trying to figure out how in the world they got along so well.

Half way through the school year a new kid transferred to his school. It was a British boy, English if you asked him, with fluffy blonde hair, bright green eyes, and a crazy set of eyebrows. Not only did his vocabulary and thick accent confuse the hell out of Lovino, but the rest of the students as well. Apparently there was quite the difference between American and British English, and it didn't help that he was still having trouble with the language itself. Luckily he wasn't the only one having trouble holding conversations with Arthur, and the boy only got mildly annoyed when someone asked him what a particular word or phrase meant. He and Arthur never became friends, per se, but they found a light acquaintanceship due to their similar dispositions. They were both cynics, and were both easily aggravated by people. They could both also burst into a passionate, lengthy rant filled with colorful words and more than one language if they were pushed to it.

Then one day he came home to see Sergio and a boy he didn't know sitting on the couch, watching television, and chatting. Peter was the boy's name, and Lovino couldn't help but see a younger Arthur with blue eyes and tamer hair. Later there was a knock at the door, and speak of the devil, it was Arthur. After it was revealed that Peter was Arthur's younger brother, the two began to talk a little more.

At lunch, Lovino never sat alone anymore, but with the Brit. Soon the school's golden boy and super nerd, Alfred Jones, began to sit with them as well. Bringing his younger half-Canadian brother with him. A creepy Russian boy, Alfred's best frienemy, would sometimes join as well, inevitably drawing his frightening sister along with him. Suddenly Lovino was sitting with a large group of kids at lunch, and he did not know how, why, or when it happened. Sometimes Feliciano and his friends would show up too.

Everything seemed brighter, and the Italian was extremely grateful for this blessing.

Lovino graduated high school with friends to celebrate with. A new determination flared inside of him. He was sick of living in a crowded apartment. Sick of a neglectful grandfather. Sick of the whores and having to listen to their late night activities because he used his money to buy Feliciano and Sergio MP3 players to drown out the noise before himself. And dear Lord he was sick of his back constantly aching because he had been sleeping on a two-seater sofa for almost three fucking years!

Immediately after graduation, he began to search for more jobs. Though he was doing all he could for his brothers, it never felt like it was enough. It could never be enough, but he can at least try. Dozens of applications were filled, but only a handful gave him an interview. None of them had agreeable hours since he still worked at the restaurant. Out of the blue, Arthur called him and told him that the fabric store he worked at was hiring. Lovino could have wept. He got the job, and Mr. and Mrs. Carriedo were able to adjust his schedule so both jobs weren't running into each other, and so he wouldn't work himself into the ground.

Soon after he opened a bank account, and put as much of his earnings as he could into it every paycheck. Working two jobs was definitely difficult, but not impossible. Antonio and Arthur's companionship helped ease the stress as well. Often Sergio would shoot him concerned looks, or try to talk him in to quitting a job, but Lovino always dismissed the notion. Feliciano, in his increasing moments of clarity, also worried about him. He would smile and reassure them both at these times. It would be worth it.

But, it still was not enough. After a few months there was enough money to get a apartment of his own, but the Italian didn't feel comfortable with that yet. Lovino wanted to save a decent amount for emergencies as well, because he would rather live on the street before crawling back to Arsenius.

One day while walking down the stairs in his building, he stumbled upon a blonde man struggling with a small, white, bouncing dog. When he asked what was wrong, the man said that his dog, Hanatamago, was always hyper and restless. It was because he rarely had time to walk the dog, so he never had an outlet for his energy. An idea hit Lovino, and he offered to walk Hanatamago for $10. The man, who introduced himself as Tino, immediately lit up and accepted with a thousand thank yous. That's how how found himself posting advertisements for himself around town and on the internet. He could only walk the dogs early in the morning, but his budding clientele did not seem to mind. Each person paid $10 for each day, and Lovino honestly could not complain. Because he had owned dogs back in Italy, he was confident in his ability to handle the canines and break up any fights before they had even started. He mentally thanked his father. The early morning was also peaceful, for not many people were out yet, and the dogs were surpriseingly nice company.

The biggest problem with working three jobs was that, although he made sure he never worked more than two a day, he never had a day off. More often than not he would find himself dragging his feet through the door, eating a quick dinner, and collapsing on that stupid couch so he could pass out. Once he woke up in the bed next to Feliciano, and he made sure to chew Sergio's ear off so bad that he would never think of doing that again.

During his younger brother's next summer vacation, Lovino finally sprung the big news. He had got an apartment for them. It took months of searching, and many consultations with Realtors before he found an acceptable location. Many of the apartments he could afford had something wrong with them that the landlord refused to fix, or sneaky fees he wouldn't have caught of he didn't read through the papers at least three times. Then he finally found one. It was not anything special, but it was perfect in Lovino's eyes. They had heat, running water, and there was even a laundromat down the street so he wouldn't have to fight the building for access to the washer and dryer. Also, he had already furnished it. With the help of his friends, everything he had either received or bought from second hand stores was placed and set up in his new home.

First his siblings looked at him like he sprouted another head, but then sprung on him so forcefully they all fell to the floor. After an emotional while, they finally disentangled from each other and stood. Lovino instructed for them to pack everything they needed, and leave nothing behind. They weren't coming back to this place as long as he had any say in it.

Once their bags were packed, they trudged down the stairs to load them in Alfred's SUV. They then went back up to tell their grandfather goodbye. He was sitting at the kitchen table, and Lovino knew that he knew exactly what was happening. Giving them a tired smile from behind a greying beard was enough of an invitation for Feliciano and Sergio to run over and hug him.

"Go wait for me in the car," said Lovino once they were finished. They nodded and shuffled out of the door with one last farewell.

"I wish I had an elder brother like you when I was young."

"I haven't done anything special."

"You're wrong. You put their happiness far ahead of your own all this time. Trust me, not just anybody would do something so unselfish."

"Whatever." Turning, he walked through the doorway he would never pass again.

"Caio, mi nipote."

"...Caio, nonno."

And he left.

Mixed emotions swirled inside of him throughout the car ride. The Italian was happy, no, ecstatic to be leaving, but bitter at the same time. He didn't want Arsenius to compliment him. He wanted an honest apology. Oh well, he'd get over it. For the rest of the trip he hid these feelings behind shouting at Alfred to turn off this rap shit. Which was eventually answered with the channel changing to country. It did not please him.

They made it to their new building, and with the American's help were able to carry all of their luggage with no trouble. Pulling the key from his pocket, Lovino unlocked and opened the door.

"Surprise!" came a booming shout. The three Italians were blown away at all of the people in their home. Next to them Alfred was doubled over in laughter, commenting about how priceless their faces were.

All of their friends were there, even though some of them were strangers to at least one of the brothers. Feliciano ran over and wrapped his arms around Ludwig and Kiku, while Sergio went straight up to a short brunette girl Lovino could identify as the famous Hannah. Antonio stepped up to the lone Italian and embraced him.

"Shhh, it's alright. You don't have to cry."

That's when he could actually feel the tears on his cheeks, and he buried his face into the Spaniard's collar to wipe them away.

"Shut up."

Laughter vibrated the chest he was pressed against, and Lovino pulled away to give the first pure, joyful smile he's given in a long, long time.

"Thank you, everyone."

Cheering answered him, and he was pulled inside to celebrate the night away.

It was too much, and Lovino liked that much more than the not enough. 

.:.:.:.:.:.:.

This turned out a lot more angsty than I had originally planned, but whatever, it has a happy ending, which is good enough for me!

I really hope you like this, Silan Haye~! IT S ALL FOR YOU, DARLING!

See y'all next time!

Oh, and Happy Ash Wednesday! Lol.


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